Invincible: Cato's Story
by Katniss451
Summary: Cato thought he was invincible when he volunteered for the 74th Hunger Games. He was going to go to the arena, fight, and win. But there were a few things he wasn't counting on, including his district partner Clove and Katniss Everdeen the Girl On Fire. This is the Hunger Games from Cato's POV. Rated T because, well, it's the hunger games.
1. Chapter 1

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _I roll over and check my alarm clock. 8 a.m. Time to get up. It's a big day, after all. Today I will bring honor to my family and to my district. Today I will volunteer at the Reaping, represent my district, and then win the Hunger Games.

I climb out of bed, heading for the clothes I picked out last night. They're the nicest I own - after all, if I want to get sponsors, I need to make a good impression on the Capitol from the start. I double-check myself in the mirror before heading downstairs. I have to be in the town square by ten. Can't afford to be late. Not today.

"Good morning, Cato!" my mom says brightly as I walk into the kitchen.

"Morning," I mumble back, still groggy from sleep. I grab an apple and sit down at the table next to my father.

"Big day today, sport!" he says cheerfully.

"Yeah." I don't feel like talking much this morning, and my father seems to pick up on it and leaves me alone. Right now I need to prepare. It was my father's idea I volunteer in the first place. He's been unofficially training me for years. I'm his only kid, and he wants me to make something of myself. I'm not planning on disappointing him.

I turn to study my mother. I can tell she's trying to hide her nervousness behind a forced smile, but I pretend not to notice. It's clear she's afraid for me, even though she doesn't have to be. I've been preparing for this moment almost my whole life. This is what I'm meant to do.

Before I leave to take my place in the square with the other sixteen year olds, I take a final

look around my house. Being from district two, it's mostly made out of rock. The walls, the floor, and most of the furniture are crafted from cold hard stone. The house isn't very big, but it fits us comfortably. My dad is pretty successful in his field. That, plus the fact that we live in one of the wealthier districts, means I have a pretty good life. It also means that my father has the means to train me. He has expectations. I will not let him down.

On my way to the square, I meet my friend Darron.

"Hey. You ready?" he asks. I glare at him and he laughs. "Okay, stupid question."

"You think?" I say, rolling my eyes.

"So I'm guessing you're not nervous?" Darron raises his eyebrows at me.

"Nah. Mostly I'm looking forward to using all those weapons in the training center." Oh, am I. All that beautifully crafted weaponry. The knives, the spears. And the swords! So many swords! All unique, all deadly.

"Typical Cato. Just make sure you don't forget about me when you're up in Victor's Village!"

"Of course not!" I glance at my watch, then at the sign-in table. "I've got to go check in now."

"Yeah, me too," he says.

"I'll see you later, then," I call over my shoulder as I walk towards the registration table. He nods before getting into his own line. He knows what I mean, that I'm not talking about the hour we get for friends and family. He knows I'm coming home.

I reach the table and check in, giving them a sample of blood. Then I join the other sixteen-year-old boys near the front and wait. The square is crowded with people. The kids, twelve to eighteen, stand in sections based on age and gender in the center. Everyone else fills the rest of the square and the surrounding side streets. I wait patiently through all the speeches, studying the faces of the former victors of district two. My eyes settle on Brutus, who will be my mentor. He seems almost as bored as me.

Finally, our stupid Capitol escort, Atilius, goes to pull out the names. As always, she walks up to the girls' ball first and reaches in. She grabs a name from deep inside the ball, and I hold my breath, waiting to see who my competition will be. Atilius walks up to the podium and calls out the name of the unlucky girl who will have to die.

"Lania White!" I don't recognize the name. I see a rather small girl walk out from the fourteen year old section. After she is announced, Atilius asks if there are any volunteers. A girl marches up to the stage from the sixteen year old section.

"I volunteer as tribute for district two," she announces calmly.

"And what is your name?" Atilius asks.

"Clove. Clove Alexa."

"Well, Clove, congratulations! Let's give a round of applause to this year's female tribute!" Atilius trills. There is thunderous applause, as usual. I take a deep breath. I'm next. Atilius pulls out a name from the reaping ball.

"Tristin Brett!" This time, when he asks for volunteers, I'm the one who steps forward.

"I do! I volunteer!" I almost shout, pushing forward. I take my place on the stage, beside Clove.

"Oh, it looks like we have two volunteers!" Our escort squeals excitedly. I don't know why he seems so surprised. It's not like this is an unusual occurrence. I will never understand these Capitol people. "Now what might your name be?"

"Cato Hunt."

"Hunt! Even the name sounds menacing!" Now he turns back to the audience. "Let's give it up for this year's tributes!"

Once again, there is deafening applause. I turn my attention towards Clove. I've seen her before. She's in some of my classes. I realize she will most likely be one of my allies. I also realize I may be the one who has to kill her. So I watch her. She seems confident, and I can tell by looking at her that she is like me. She has been training for this.

Now it's time to shake hands. I lean in towards her. "Let the Games begin!" I whisper, too quietly for anyone else to hear. Slowly, a smile spreads across her face. _This is going to be fun._


	2. Chapter 2

Clove and I are escorted to the Justice Building. We are taken into separate rooms to see our friends and family before we board the train that will take us to the Capitol. The room I'm in is completely blue, from the walls to the carpet to the furniture. I sit down on an enormous dark blue couch and wait for my visitors to arrive.

The first people to show up are my parents. My mom walks in and sits beside me on the couch. My father is close behind. I think he's actually beaming! I've never seen him look so proud. He puts his hand on my shoulder.

"You can do this. Just remember everything you've learned. And when you come back, it'll be to a big house in Victor's Village and everything you'll ever want!" he says, still grinning. It's true. The winner of the Games gets a wonderful new house in a part of the district reserved for victors, and more money than they could ever use. Their district also gets showered with prizes of food.

"I'm ready, Dad. You've trained me well," I reply. He smiles at that. What I'm really worried about is my mother. I know she's not completely okay with this, but would never say so in front of my father. To do so would be questioning him, and he doesn't like his judgment to be questioned. I reach over and give her hand a squeeze.

"You'll come home," she says, her voice stern, as if by ordering it she can make it happen for sure. "I know you will."

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm just as prepared as the other careers, if not more so," I tell her confidently.

"He's right," my dad agrees. "This boy's got a better chance than most. He's strong, well fed, quick. And you've seen him with a sword." Now it's my turn to smile. The sword is my weapon, and I must admit, I'm pretty good. I can handle other weapons, of course, but nothing quite compares.

My mother reaches into her pocket and pulls out a stone pendant on a leather strap.

"For your token," she explains as she places it around my neck.

"Thanks," I say, giving her a quick hug.

My father goes on for a few more minutes, lecturing me on how to handle myself in the career alliance, how to survive on my own, and other basic things I should remember. Like I need a reminder. I've been hearing the same thing since I was old enough to understand, and I've seen enough Games, both live and re-runs, to know the basics. Soon the peacekeepers come, and my parents' time is up. At the doorway my dad turns to give me one last piece of advice.

"Don't get too attached." What is that supposed to mean? Is he talking about the alliance? Or Clove? Either way, I'm smart enough to know not to get too close to anyone. Twenty-four go in, one comes out. Everyone knows that. It's impossible to forget. So how exactly does he expect me to make lasting bonds of friendship?

The next person to come is Darron. He sits down on the chair across from me.

"So, it's finally time." He smirks. "Just make sure you don't lose to a girl."

"What? You mean Clove?" I shake my head. "No way. I'm in this to win."

"I know that," Darron mutters defensively. "I'm just saying, I heard she's good." Now I'm staring to get annoyed.

"Relax. I'll be up against at least five other trained tributes. Clove is the least of my worries. Besides, I'm taller, bigger, and stronger," I argue, remembering her size. For a career, she really wasn't that big.

"Yes, but no matter how strong you are, a knife can still kill you." I guess he does have a point. "Just keep your head in the game. I'm looking forward to the massive party you're going to throw when you win." We both smile, just as the peacekeepers enter to tell him it's time to go.

"See you soon!" I call after him.

"See you!" After he leaves, I am alone. As I wait to leave, I take a closer look at my token. It is simple, a smooth, polished grey stone hanging on a black leather strap. My mom must have made it for me. For the first time, the fact that I need to come home alive hits me with full force.

As I'm considering this, peacekeepers come to bring me to the train station. There are cameras everywhere, and I put on my most intimidating face. After all, it's easier to kill kids who are scared of you. One glance at Clove tells me she is doing the same. Once all the photographs are taken, we finally board the train. Our escort accompanies us, along with this year's mentors – Enobaria and Brutus.

Atilius shows me to my room and tells me to change before coming down for dinner. I put on a plain grey T-shirt and pants. Before I head to the dinning car, I slip the pendant under my shirt. I don't want to risk losing it.

I am the last to arrive for dinner. Clove is talking excitedly to Enobaria. I turn to Brutus.

"Any advice?" I ask.

"Scaring the other tributes is easy. What you need to do is impress the Capitol. They need to know you're a real contender for this thing. Be memorable." I know it's true. Popular tributes get more sponsors, and more sponsors mean a better shot at winning. "Also, I suggest learning the strengths and weaknesses of your allies while you're still working together, because there will come a time when you'll have to split. When that happens, they will go from being your friends to your biggest enemies."

I nod, taking in what he's saying. He's right. Before I can respond, the food is being served and conversation turns to other things. I mostly tune out and focus on eating. I'll probably end up with most of the food from the cornucopia, but it wouldn't hurt to have a few extra pounds. I must admit, the food is much better than what I'm used to. When we finally finish all eight courses, everyone files into the TV room to watch the reapings from every district.

I watch the tributes from one and four closely, because they will most likely be my allies. It is traditional for the tributes from one, two and four to take out the weaklings before the games really start. They seem pretty typical, except for the boy from four. He's tiny, and it's obvious that he isn't supposed to be there. As for the rest of the tributes, none of them appear to pose a real threat except for the boy from district eleven. He's huge, even bigger than me. It looks like he might actually be a challenge. When district twelve comes up, I'm in for a surprise. There's actually a volunteer, although it's obvious she's only doing it to spare her sister. Pathetic.

As I head back to my room, Clove stops me.

"Who do you think we should watch out for?" she asks.

"That boy from eleven," I reply. "Looks like he might be a threat."

She nods. "Rest should be pretty easy. So, what do you do?"

Her question confuses me. "What do you mean?"

"What are you good at?" she asks again, speaking slowly, as if it should be obvious.

"Swords," I answer without thinking. _Stupid._ What did Brutus just say? Well, it's not like

it was going to stay secret much longer. We were going into training in a couple of days

anyway. "How about you?"

"Knives," she says simply. I remember Darron saying something about that.

"I hear you're good." Now it's her turn to look surprised. "Anyway, we should really get to bed. We can't look too haggard when we get to the Capitol tomorrow."

Clove smirks. "That won't be a problem for me." She turns, starting to walk away. "Night,

Cato!" she calls back.

I roll my eyes and continue on to my room. "Night, Clove!"


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, I wake up early. After getting dressed, I walk to the dining car to see if breakfast is ready. Clove and Enobaria are already there, but my mentor is nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Brutus?" I ask.

"Still asleep," Enobaria answers. "We'll be arriving in the Capitol in about an hour."

"Okay," I reply, no longer paying attention. Right now, I am much more interested in the food. Loading my plate with ham, sausage, rolls and eggs, I wonder, not for the first time, how the people of the Capitol can eat so much.

As I gorge myself, I catch sight of Enobaria's teeth. Each one ends in a point and is inlaid with gold. She had the surgery done after she won her Games in honor of her most famous moment - ripping her opponent's throat out with her teeth. Enobaria's famous for them, but I've never been close enough to see them before.

Enobaria catches me looking and gives me a big smile. "Like them?"

"Yeah." I've never seen anything like them, not even from the stylists they interview during the Hunger Games. They are pretty cool, but I don't think I'd do anything like that after my Games. Not my style.

Enobaria just laughs. "Just wait until we get to the Capitol." This makes even Clove laugh. The Capitol is known by all the districts for having a very unique sense of fashion. Personally, I think it just makes them all look stupid. For a while, everyone busies themselves with eating, which I have no problem with.

"I'd better go wake up Brutus. Don't want him to miss the opening ceremonies," Enobaria announces as she leaves the table. I decide to take this opportunity to get to know my new ally. She is rather small for a Career, but I doubt I should give this much weight. The smallest ones can be the most deadly. She has long dark hair, in contrast to my blonde, but she shares my blue eyes. It's one characteristic that most people of from District Two have.

"So, are you ready for the opening ceremonies?" I ask casually.

"I was born ready," Clove replies cockily. "I just hope our stylists actually have brains in their heads."

"That's a lot to hope for." This has her laughing again, and I smile.

"Enobaria said to do whatever they tell us to, without complaining." Clove sounds annoyed. "Who knows what they're going to do? What if they're crazy?"

Now I'm laughing. "I think she knows what she's talking about. It's not her first time."

"Obviously."

"Tell you what. You can call them all the things you want… in your head." She gives an exasperated sigh, and I can't help but smile at her irritation. "I mean, what's the big deal anyway? It's not like we're from Twelve and have to wear those hideous miner outfits, or Ten with their cow costumes."

"I don't know why I bother," she mutters.

Suddenly, everything gets dark. We must be passing through the tunnels leading to the Capitol. The Capitol is surrounded by mountains, so the only way in without having to climb them is through the tunnels. We must be getting close.

"Almost there," I whisper under my breath, too quiet for even Clove to hear. One more week. In one week, I will do what I am meant to do. I turn and see my thoughts reflected on Clove's somber face. _One of us will die, _I think. _And it's not going to be me._

Just then, Atilius enters the dining car, looking like he's just woken up. He's obviously very excited.

"We're here! Come on, you two, let's get going. We have to get you to the Remake Center," he announces. He goes on to chatter on about our stylist this year, and how amazing our costumes are sure to be. Clove looks about ready to kill someone, but Atilius takes no notice. What's considered amazing in the Capitol is vastly different from amazing in District Two.

Thankfully, Brutus now chooses to enter the car.

"Time to go," is all he says, curtly, before turning to leave. Without question, we follow him, eager to escape Atilius. I never knew one person could be so annoying.

On the way to the Remake Center, Brutus tells me pretty much the same thing Enobaria told Clove - as much as you hate it, put up with anything the prep team does. I'm not sure how my cooperation with a bunch of frivolous Capitol citizens can possibly help me win the Games, but I decide to listen to him. After all, Brutus has been through this enough times to know what he's doing.

When I finally get to the Remake Center, I'm ushered into a room and three typical Capitol people enter. The first, I think her name was Floria, has long green hair, and the entire surface of her skin is covered with tattoos of flowers, leaves and butterflies. Right behind her comes a man with blue hair pointed up into tall spikes. He has metal rings all over his face - on his nose, lips, ears and tongue. The last member of my prep team has such bright yellow skin, I have trouble looking directly at him.

I am successful at tuning out most of their meaningless babble, their voices being nothing more than a dull drone in the background as they prepare me for the opening ceremonies. I don't pay much attention to what they do to me, but I'm mildly aware of lots of baths in strange liquids and odd smelling scrubs. They also put some strange chemical on my face. I'm not sure what any of these things are supposed to do, and I don't really care. I'm busy trying to decide if I should act friendly toward the Capitol audience or go the intimidating route and ignore them. I make a mental note to ask Brutus before the ceremonies start.

I wonder what they are doing to Clove. I just hope she keeps her thoughts to herself, although judging by the look she gave me right before she went into her remake room, at least one member of her team is coming out with a black eye.

After what seems like forever, I am finally allowed to meet my stylist. A young woman, maybe twenty-three, walks into the prep room.

"My name is Antonia," she tells me in her ridiculous Capitol accent. "It's my job to make you look fabulous! But first, lunch. Follow me."

As she leads me to wherever lunch is being served, I observe the person who will be my stylist, both now and on the Victory Tour. Compared to my outlandish prep team, Antonia seems rather toned down. Or at least as toned down as people can get in the Capitol. Sure, she's wearing the strangest clothes I've ever seen - her dress looks like a balloon - and her hair is pink, but at least her skin is a natural colour and her only tattoo is a pink butterfly on the back of her neck. I think that with normal clothes, Antonia might be pretty.

I am led into a room with a wall made entirely of glass overlooking the city. I must say, the view is amazing. When I look down at the table, I find it covered with food and immediately start stuffing myself until I'm sure I can't hold another bite. Then, Antonia speaks.

"So, let's get down to business. I was thinking to portray you as a strong fighter. Invincible. How do you feel about gladiator meets Roman god? I already have the most stunning outfit planned, and you seem perfect for it. I can't wait to see it on you! And I'm sure the audience will love it," Antonia says, talking faster than I thought possible. What is it with these Capitol people and their idiotic babble? Oh well, at least the costume sounds decent enough.

"I can't wait to try it on," I reply, my voice dripping in sarcasm. Antonia either doesn't pick up on it or ignores it. Either way, she doesn't seem fazed. If anything, she's even more excited, as if I actually want to get dressed up in some stupid costume and parade around in a chariot. I came here for one reason, and it's not to play dress up.

"Well then, come on! Let's get you ready!" That overly chipper voice is already giving me a headache. This is going to be a long day.


	4. Chapter 4

The costume is ridiculous. But, as per Brutus' instructions, I don't complain. Antonia's got me in some sort of winged golden helmet. There's also what looks like the breast plate of a suit of armor, that's also golden, and long plain brown pants. I think I look absurd, but this is the kind of thing the Capitol, and sponsors, will love. So, I will bear it. But I don't have to be happy about it. I mean, the entire country is going to see me dressed like this.

"What do you think?" Antonia asks, clearly impressed by her own work.

I just roll my eyes and walk over to the rest of the preps for "final touches" and they try to put _make-up _on me. When I protest, I find out the hard way why I was supposed to keep my mouth shut. I end up with a ten minute lecture about the importance of looking my best and by the end they all seem emotionally worked up. I finally just give up and let them smear as much stuff on my face as they want, while I remember all the ways I could kill them with my bare hands.

Eventually, I am deemed fir to be viewed by the public. Fantastic. I'm taken to the first level of the Remake Center, and I realize it's a giant stable.

"Your chariot is right over there," Antonia instructs. I look in the direction she is pointing and see we will be pulled by a pair of stony grey horses. I move to go stand beside them while I wait for the ceremonies to begin.

While waiting, I took a look at the other tributes. My outfit didn't seem so bad compared to some of the others. There's dumb, and then there's downright terrible. I catch sight of twelve near the back. Yes, there's the girl who volunteered to die. Both tributes are dressed in black jumpsuits that nobody will remember by tomorrow. Their stylists must be the worst! Then again, twelve always gets the worst.

Brutus appears by my side. I didn't even see him walk up.

"How you doing?" he asks.

"Fine," I answer absently. Then I remember about my angle. "How do you think I should play this thing?"

"That depends. How do you want these people to perceive you?"

That makes sense. If I want people to see me as a real competitor, I need to look like one from the beginning. It needs to be clear that I'm a threat. That I'm a victor. I turn to Brutus to respond, but he's already moving towards the district one chariot.

Just then, I spot Clove walking towards me. She looks . . . good. She's essentially wearing the same costume as me, but with a mid-thigh length leather skirt. But I could tell whoever styled her hair and make-up knew what they were doing. For a moment, I'm at a loss for words. Then I remember the voices of Brutus, Darron, and my father. I can't afford distractions. Clove is my competition, an obstacle I must pass to become victor.

As she nears the chariot, I notice her whole body is lightly shimmering in gold dust. She sees me watching her and breaks into a smile. _Focus, Cato. It's all part of the game. _

"So," I say casually as she approaches. "Was it as bad as you thought it was going to be?" I'm just making conversation, but a tiny part of me is genuinely curious. A very small part.

"No, it was worse," she growls through gritted teeth. "I think they managed to yank out every single solitary hair." I can't help but laugh, even though she seems less than amused. "I'm glad you think this is so funny! It took every ounce of self-restraint I posses not to punch them. I did, however, call them every name in the book, and then some."

"I'm sure Enobaria will be very pleased when she hears," I tease. I find her very amusing.

"I don't even care. How will being nice to some silly Capitol beauticians help me win the Games?"

"Who knows? They might have rich friends." My response only seems to aggravate her even more. Good. People don't like angry tributes.

Antonia and another man, presumably Clove's stylist, appear out of nowhere.

"Time to go!" Antonia squeals, no doubt excited to show off her work. "Don't worry about the horses, they know where to go. All you need to do is look fabulous!"

I turn to Clove and smirk. "That shouldn't be a problem for me." She shoots me a death glare before stepping up onto the chariot. I laugh, then follow her up.

"Ready?" The voice is new, and I see it belongs to Clove's stylist. "And . . . Go!"

The chariot lurches forward, and I nearly lose my balance. I quickly regain my footing and look up to see hundreds of people cheering. As we parade through the streets, I do my best to look menacing. I need to show that I am a formidable opponent.

Some of the other careers are trying similar techniques, although there are some exceptions. The girl from one, for example, is clearly trying to act flirty. It is a clever angle for her, with her green eyes and long, blonde hair. The Capitol is a very shallow place.

Out of nowhere, I hear a deafening thunder of applause coming from behind. Looking behind me, I notice the cause of this sudden uproar. The district twelve tributes are on fire. _Wait, on fire?_ I can't believe my eyes! _How is this even possible? _Beside me, Clove has noticed as well, and she does not look too pleased. She must have come to the same realization as me: there is no way to compete with that, no matter how menacing, or flirty, or mysterious we try to be. All anyone seems to be able to look at is twelve.

Upon looking closer, something else even more disturbing is made evident. They are _holding hands. _It makes me absolutely sick.What do they thing this is? Kindergarten? This is the Games, for goodness' sakes.

Throughout the rest of the parade and all through Snow's speech, the camera's spend all their time on the flickering tributes from twelve. I can feel the anger boiling up inside of me. All the citizens, all the sponsors, are cheering for _them_. All because of a stupid costume.

Back at the stable area, Clove and I are shooting daggers at them. For a brief moment, I catch the eye of the girl, the volunteer. And in that brief moment, I convey all of my anger and hate towards her. A shiver visibly runs through her, and she turns away to go back to her floor at the Training Center. She really is nothing more than a pathetic coward, and I'm looking forward to proving it.

That night, after another massive dinner, I'm feeling stuffed. We gather around the tv to watch a recap of the opening ceremonies. Everyone, from mentors to stylists, seems annoyed at district twelve for essentially monopolizing the entire program. My only comfort is that in the arena, a fiery costume won't be able to save either of them. They are still from twelve, and I'm still from two. I outrank them in every way, and that won't be overlooked, even by the Capitol.

"Go to bed," Brutus orders when the show ends. "Tomorrow is training."

Finally, something to look forward to. No stylist and damper my abilities when it comes the training. Plus, in training, Fire Girl won't have any fancy outfits to hide behind or rooms to run away to. Tomorrow, both of them will be exposed for what they are: underfed, incompetent children to be picked off.

_Just you wait, Fire Girl. Wait for the real fun to start._


	5. Chapter 5

Early the next morning, Brutus comes knocking at my door.

"What time is it?" I groan. It is way too early to be awake.

"It's time to go over training," my mentor responds. How is he functioning? "I figured we should work out your strategy before breakfast." By "before breakfast" I assume he means "before Clove and Enobaria wake up." I can't muster the energy to argue with him, and a little strategy sounds like a good idea.

"Fine. What's the plan?" I ask, stretching as I try to wake up. I've never been much of a morning person.

"Today, the most important thing you need do is establish yourself among your fellow careers," Brutus explains, laying out his plan. "They have to fear you even more than the other tributes. You've got to become the leader of the career alliance. That way, they won't dare cross you."

"How am I supposed to do that?" From what I could see yesterday, I don't think the others would just roll over and let me take charge.

"Well, obviously, you need to show them what you can do. That reminds me, what are you good at?" Brutus questions me. Now that I think about it, he hasn't asked me about my skills yet. I would have thought it would be the first thing he wanted to know, but I guess it's good to wait until nobody else is around.

"I can handle pretty much any weapon. I'm really good with spears, but swords are my specialty. I also excel at hand-to-hand."

Brutus nods slowly, thinking over my answers. I'm not sure, but I think he looks impressed. "You look strong enough. You may actually have a shot at this thing. But it's not all about fighting; it's also about your attitude. Act like a leader, and take charge."

His praise gives me an ego boost, but the second part unnerves me. How am I supposed to take charge of a bunch of highly trained killers. Sure, I could fight them. Easily. But lead them? That is entirely new territory.

"I don't' know how to act like a leader," I tell Brutus honestly. After all, I've usually been the one taking orders from my father, and directing others was never a lesson. Obedience was. "I'm much better at following instructions than giving them," I explain when Brutus doesn't answer. He doesn't look too pleased. Never would I have thought that this, of all things, would be my weakness. My father's voice replays in my head: _weakness is for the other twenty-three. Not for you. _I wonder what he would be saying right now. On second thought, I doubt I'd like to know.If I can just figure out how to do this, then I really would have no weak spots.

I feel a ghost of a smile form on my lips as I think of victory. For a moment, I indulge in thoughts of winning. But first things first: getting to the top of the alliance. My mentor still hasn't responded, and I can't help but feel like I've already disappointed him. That can't happen. "So," I continue, slightly louder than before. "How am I going to convince for other trained careers to listen to me?"

"The trick is not to let them see what you're doing. For today, start out by suggesting which stations to visit. It wouldn't hurt to show off a little, either. As for the other tributes, they should fear you more than any other tribute, especially the other careers. Everyone, from tributes to sponsors, need to know you're on top of things." I take a deep breath. Sounds easy enough.

"Got it," I say.

Brutus checks his watch. "You better get ready for breakfast. The others will be expecting us soon." With that, he gets up and leaves my room, with me still mulling over his new instructions.

Lazily, I get out of bed and take a quick shower. There is on outfit waiting for me in the front of my closet. This must be what I am supposed to wear to training. Quickly, I pull on the soft black pants and t-shirt and then hurry down to breakfast.

"Oh, look who finally decided to join us!" Clove calls out sarcastically as I entered the dinning room.

Ignoring her, I load my plate with food and take my seat beside her, across from Brutus. I automatically shovel food into my mouth and make no effort at conversation.

"What's wrong, Cato? Still asleep?" Clove teases in a bright voice.

"Yes!" I growl, and she smirks.

As breakfast goes on, I notice Clove drops out of the conversation. I'm not sure, but she seems kind of nervous, although I have no idea why. Today we start training - she should be as excited as I am. I mean, she's been training for this her whole life, just like me, hasn't she?

Suddenly, Enobaria speaks up. "Training starts soon. You guys should starts heading down there. It'll give you guys a chance too meet the others." I guess it would be good to meet our allies before the others show up, but I can feel Clove tense beside me.

Atilius stands up quickly. I had almost forgot he was here. I guess I've gotten pretty good at tuning him out. "Alright, I'll bring them downstairs to the training center," he announces, already half way to the elevator.

"No," Brutus orders. "Let them go on their own. They aren't little children who need to be babysat."

Atilius deflates a little, but decides against arguing. Instead, he walks us to the elevator and gives us detailed instructions on how to get to the training center. As soon as we step into the elevator, Clove begins to fidget.

"What is up with you?" I ask after the doors shut.

"Nothing," she responds quickly, and very unconvincingly.

"We both know you're lying. And you have until we reach the training center to tell me what it is," I tell her. Normally I would just drop it, but now I'm genuinely curious.

Clove hesitates, considering whether or not to trust me. Considering the circumstances, I guess some hesitation is appropriate.

"Come on," I continue. "Who else are you going to talk to?"

I wait patiently for her decision. She takes a deep breath, then seems to make up her mind.

"It's just that…well," she pauses. "I guess I'm just a little nervous about meeting the others."

"The rest of our alliance?" I ask, slightly confused, and she nods. "Why? The alliance is already set, like every year."

"It's not that. I just don't know what to expect," Clove explains. "I mean, I don't even know them, and I'm supposed to trust them with my life. They're just as likely to spear me than help me."

"Not if your knife hits them first," I quip. This makes her smile a little. Clove doesn't necessarily sound afraid of the actual tributes. It's more the idea of having to trust them that doesn't sit right with her, which makes sense. We've all been trained to look out for ourselves and kill everyone else.

"I work better alone, anyway. I'm not really a team player," she tells me while tossing her hair over her shoulder. She shoots me a cocky grin. This isn't good. I need to keep her in this alliance, where I can keep an eye on her.

"Would you rather have your biggest threats as a tentative ally, who could turn out to be very useful, or a full out enemy hunting you down?" I question her.

She thinks this over for a second. "I guess you're right," she sighs, giving in. "Thanks Cato."

Clove gives me one of her brightest smiles, one that reaches her eyes. I'm taken aback by how genuine it seems. She looks relieved, and happy. And for a split second, so am I. But then I force myself to remember that she will be dead in a couple of weeks, and that any form of friendship will only cause trouble for me later.

So I turn away from Clove and her smile, just as the elevator doors open to reveal the training center. I can see district one already waiting, looking longingly towards the weapon stations. They are careers, like us. Trained to kill. I follow their gaze and immediately notice an area dedicated to sword fighting. I'm sure that's where Brutus would want me to take the careers first. Nobody would dare mess with me after they saw me in action.

The pair from one catch sight of us and wave us over. _Here goes nothing, _I think, and walk over, with Clove trailing close behind me.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey!" the boy from one calls. He's pretty tall, almost my height, with dark hair and eyes. "I'm Marvel, and this is Glimmer."

"Hi," the girl, Glimmer, purrs. She's the one who was being flirtatious during the parade. "And what's your name?" She's twirling one of her blonde curls and batting her eyelashes at me. Honestly, she looks ridiculous.

"Cato," I answer. "And this is Clove." My eyes dart over to Clove as I introduce her. If she's nervous, she doesn't look it. If anything, she seems bored.

"Cato…" Glimmer repeats. "I think this could be fun," she says with a wink.

"Hey, Glimmer, you can cut it out now. There's no sponsors anywhere near here," Marvel snaps, sounding annoyed. Glimmer shoots him a pouty expression. He scowls, and she bursts out laughing. _These are our allies? _I can only hope four turns out better, but judging from the size of the boy, we are only getting one tribute from district four this year.

Slowly, some of the other tributes trickle in, but still no sign of district twelve. The tributes from four arrive shortly after us. The girl walks over to us, while the boy quickly walks away to the other side of the room. _So I was right. _He can't be older than thirteen, and even that's pushing it.

"I'm Tara," the girl says when she reaches us. She has red-brown hair and hazel eyes. We all introduce ourselves. I don't think Tara volunteered like the rest of us, but she seems pretty capable.

I find out that Tara is the youngest, only fifteen, and Marvel is the oldest at seventeen. Most of the careers are encouraged to wait until we're eighteen. That's the last year we are eligible, but as you might assume, we aren't very patient people. I can remember the conversation I had with my mom a couple of weeks before the reaping. _You don't have to go this year, _she had said. _There's still two more after. You'll be better trained… _But we both knew there was no backing out. After all, my father had deemed me fit, said I was ready. Not to go would be the same as not trusting his judgment.

"So, what's the deal with your district partner?" I ask, glancing at the kid standing shyly by himself.

Tara just shrugs. "No guys volunteered this year." _Neither did the girls, _I think, but don't say anything. I assume she's a career who was just reaped a couple years early. "So," she starts, bored of the subject, "What's the strategy?"

I recognize an opportunity for leadership, so I answer. "I was thinking we could finish off the weaker tributes-"

"Like twelve," Glimmer interrupts. Clearly I wasn't the only one who was annoyed last night.

"-to get then out of the way, and then finish off the bigger targets," I finish, ignoring Glimmer.

"Like Thresh," offers Clove.

"Sounds fine to me," Tara says.

"It's as good as an plan we're going to come up with," Marvel agrees.

Atala, the head trainer, calls the tributes to the center of the room to go over the rules. Just then, I notice twelve slip in late. Must be too scared to come down and face the rest of us. From some of the looks that go around the room, everyone is annoyed by them outshining everyone.

Atala goes over some of the rules - no fighting with other tributes being the major one. There's a few compulsory exercises, and the rest are optional. She says something about not ignoring the survival stations. That's so funny it almost makes me laugh out loud. I can guarantee that the five of us will be living at the weapons stations.

When Atala finally releases us, the five of us gather around in the center of the training area.

"Where should we go first?" Clove asks, eyeing the knife station.

"Weapons are a priority. We never know which ones will be in the cornucopia. Remember the year with the maces?" Glimmer says. Maybe she does have a brain after all.

"Let's start with the more common weapons they almost always have, then get into the more unique ones." I answer. "Why don't we start with sword?" I push slightly, hoping they'll go with it.

"That seems smart," Tara agrees. I can see Clove raising her eyebrows at me, but I ignore her.

"Yeah," Marvel mumbles. I think he thought he'd be calling the shots since he's the oldest. _Too bad for him, _I think.

Tara goes first, and I have to admit she's pretty good. I step up to go next, and I show off everything; every skill, every maneuver I've every learned. Even the trainer seems impressed by the end. I can see Marvel looking at me with a mix of awe and envy. Clove isn't bad, and neither is Marvel, but neither can hold a candle to me. As for Glimmer, it's obvious this isn't her weapon of choice, although she's still better than any of these children.

"Let's do spears next," I suggest, and no one argues. In fact, Marvel seems to light up a bit. As we wait in line, I watch the boy from six throw a spear. Or I should say attempt to throw one, as he fails miserably. Our little group is a mix of chuckles and smirks, and when the boy turns around and sees us, he blushes and rushes off in the opposite direction.

This brings on a real laugh from everyone. As Glimmer does some damage on the practice dummies, I look around for twelve and find them at a survival station. _Painting. _Seriously? At least try learn a weapon. They are making this almost too easy. I mean, it's obvious that most of the tributes have accepted their impending deaths, but at least put up a fight.

I turn back around in time to see Marvel spear a dummy from 20 feet away and looking pretty proud of himself. So naturally I congratulate him, then step forward and throw one from 25 feet away. Marvel's expression turns from awe and envy to anger and fear. The fear is good, but maybe I shouldn't make them too angry. Sure, they wouldn't dare fight me, but they can still kill me in my sleep.

"Can we go to the archery station next?" Glimmer asks me. I'm about to say yes when I notice Clove staring longingly at the knife throwing area. For some reason, I'm compelled to let her show off. I'm not sure if it's because of what she told me in the elevator or the fact that she's half Glimmer's size, but I find myself deciding to go to the knife station. Besides, I'm curious to see just how good she really is.

"Actually, I was thinking we could work on knifes. They are the most common weapon, so they'll be the first ones we pick up at the cornucopia. We should make sure we can get the most damage done that we can," I say, trying to sound rational. Glimmer merely nods her head.

From the corner of my eye, I see Clove cock her head and give me a questioning look. I slow down and walk beside her.

"Since when do you like knives?" she asks under her breath.

"What? I just don't like bows and arrows," I whisper innocently. In return I get one of her signature smirks.

I watch her strut over to the throwing mat and grab a handful of knives. I'm expecting her to be good, but I am in no way prepared for what happens next.


	7. Chapter 7

Clove is hitting targets left and right. Never have I seen anyone throw knives so fast, or so lethally. She does not miss a single mark. When she finishes, everyone, even the instructor, is looking at her with mouths gaping open and wonderstruck expressions. Clove just gives a cocky smirk, but there is a deadly glint in her eye. She knows that after that display, nobody will ever underestimate her, even if she is half the size of the other girls.

Nobody wants to follow that, and we all pale is comparison after Clove. All I can think is that District 2 will have winner this year. And that if it's going to be me, I'm going to have to up my game.

"Where did you learn to throw like that?" I ask her as we move to the next station.

She shrugs. "There's training academies throughout District two. I went to the best one," she states simply before joining the others at archery. I know there are centers to train, but I never went to one. There were none near my home and my father wanted to train me himself. I like to think he did a good job, considering I've beat quite I few of those academy snobs. For some reason, I didn't peg Clove as the academy type.

The five of us lunch together, and I notice that Fire Girl and her matching district partner eat together too. They talk and laugh, and it makes me sick. They've been practically inseparable since they got here. I mean, they _held hands _during the tribute parade, for goodness' sakes.

"So what are we going to do about Thresh?" Tara asks. She seems very keen on plans.

"Well," says Clove, "I was thinking we could recruit him as an ally. You know, keep your friends close, enemies closer kind of thing." Nobody mentions that that's what we're all doing anyway.

I notice everyone is looking towards me, waiting for a response.

"We can ask him. We'll see what he says and go from there," I decide, and the group nods in agreement.

"NO!" is all Thresh answers when we approach him during training. He's currently slashing away at practice dummies with a long, cruel curved blade. He doesn't even stop to look at us.

"Come on," Glimmer says, her voice dripping with honey. "Who knows? You might even enjoy it."

Thresh seems unaffected by her words, but I'm stuck thinking that maybe her skill with weapons isn't all I should be looking out for when it comes to Glimmer. I can tell she'll be popular with the Capitol.

After a couple more attempts, we decide it's futile and give up on him. _It's his loss._

After training, our little group walks to the elevators before saying goodbye. Glimmer leans in close to me and puts her lips to my ear.

"Bye Cato," she whispers. "It was _very _nice to meet you."

She gives me a mysterious smirk before sauntering off after Marvel. _What was that all about?_ I can't help but stare after her as she leaves, feeling rather confused. For a second, I think nobody saw, but I was wrong.

"So, your girlfriend seems nice," Clove says sarcastically once Glimmer's out of earshot.

"What are you talking about?"

"You and sparkles," Clove answers, rolling her eyes. I try hard not to burst out laughing. "What's going on there?"

"Nothing. If anything, she's practicing her angle for the Games," I say, remembering what Marvel said. Most people have angles for the Games: sexy, sweet, mysterious. I think they even teach them at the academies. "Besides, why do you care?"

She shrugs. "Just curious."

"So, allies as scary as you thought they'd be?" I ask. I get a death glare in response.

"No. But it looks like they've made you their leader."

This time I really do laugh, and she smiles again. This time I smile back. "Yeah, I guess they did." _And I can't wait to tell Brutus._

Brutus is happy with my progress, and pretty much tells me to keep doing what I'm doing. Over the next couple of days, I learn that Glimmer is good at hand-to-hand combat and knife fighting. She likes to think she's good at archery too. Marvel likes his spears, and Clove likes her knives, but they both can handle pretty much anything. Tara is agile and loves the obstacle courses, and is about average in everything for a career.

Glimmer flirts with me all the time, and I do my best to ignore her. I have to admit, she's gorgeous, but there's no place for that here. Besides, when I win, I could have anyone back home.

"Did you see her? I thought I was going to vomit right there in the training room," Clove rants on the way to our floor after the second day. When we are alone, she makes no attempt to hide the fact that she loathes Glimmer.

I can't help but laugh at her disgust. "Of course I saw, I was the one she was leaning on!" I exclaim. "So, are you ready for the private sessions tomorrow?"

Now Clove laughs. "You know I am."

"Do I even have to ask what you're doing?"

She smirks. "No. Do I?"

The doors elevator doors slid open and our mentors are waiting for us. Clove and Enobaria take the living room, while Brutus leads me to a room I've never seen before. It looks kind of like an office. Books cover three walls, and there is a desk in the middle. Brutus and I sit down at either side.

Brutus dives straight into business. "I assume you have a plan for the private sessions tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I was planning on showing off with the swords. Maybe throw some spears," I answer.

"I suggest showing them as many things as you can. Impress them. Show that the odds are in your favor," he advises. "To maintain your leadership position within the alliance, you will need to score very highly. All five of you should be in the eight to ten range. I'd aim towards ten."

"But aren't the scores out of twelve?" I ask, confused.

"Yes, but the Gamemakers rarely give out elevens, and getting a twelve is impossible," he explains.

Oh, I'm going to get that eleven. With that score, I'll have hundreds of sponsors betting on me. Besides, I'm sure that's what my father's expecting. I guess I'm just going to have to show off.

"Now, for the interviews, you have to convince potential sponsors that you are going to win," Brutus states in a voice that's all business.

"I am going to win," I cut in.

"Good. Now just make everyone else as sure as you are. You're a cocky kid, so play that up. The Capitol audience will love it." Brutus smiles at me, and I think he believes I'm going to win just as much as I do.

"Right. So, basically just act like I'm not even worried."

Brutus nods. _Good. I won't even have to act._

My mentor continues, "Also, throw in a bit of lethalness. Brutality will back up your confidence."

"So what I'm hearing is, act like normal?"

I earn a laugh from the past victor. "I guess so."

Dinner goes by quickly. Clove and I talk strategy for storing the supplies after we take the cornucopia, and our mentors occasionally give us some pointers. With things like this, they tend to train us together. We are allies, after all. _For now, _A tiny voice in the back of my head says.

Once again, I'm able to ignore it. Although I won't be able to ignore it for long. We're going into the arena in two days, and deep down I'm hoping I won't be the one with the unpleasant task of kill her. To be honest, I could easily kill off the others, but for some reason she seems different. _Stop being stupid, Cato. You can kill her, just like the rest. It's no different. _Now that that's settled, I fall asleep, thinking about tomorrow's private sessions.


	8. Chapter 8

**No, I'm not dead! I am very sorry for the lateness. I have been extremely busy and have had NO TIME at all. That plus writers block made this chapter very hard to finish. Please forgive me! At least next chapter the games finally start, which means the brutal Cato we all know will be coming out in full force.**

* * *

In the morning, there is an uneasiness at breakfast. Everyone seems nervous, although I don't know why. District two in known for high training scores. Actually, it's also known for producing victors. I know I'm going to do fine, and Clove of all people should be just as confidant.

"Well, you two should be off now. Today is a very important day, and you can't afford to be late," out escort Atilius babbles. "Good luck to both of you. I know you'll do splendid, just splendid."

Clove and I quickly get up and half walk, half jog over to the elevator. I swear, one of these days Atilius is going to make me snap, and he won't like it. I shudder at the though that I will have to see him all day, every day on the victory tour. That'll be fun.

As soon as the door closes, Clove relaxes. "Enobaria came into my room at the crack of dawn this morning going on about the importance of a good score. As if I don't already know that," Clove rants with annoyance in her voice. She rolls her eyes.

I think for a second. "Maybe it's less about a good score and more about getting a higher score than the others," I suggest. This gets her attention. "I mean, what are the chances Marvel will let me lead the pack if in his mind he's better than me?" I pause, before adding, "Which he's not."

Clove smirks at me. "Oh, I know," she says without any sarcasm.

"In all honesty I could probably take him with a knife," I brag. I look her in the eye. "But you could take anyone with a knife."

She smiles one of her rare, real smiles. "Not if they're fast enough to doge it."

"So, that rules out maybe Tara. Anyone else is dead," I smile back at her. This whole conversation feels wrong. We should be competing to be the best, not complementing each other. An uneasy feeling settles over me, but I shake it off. Today, I can't be distracted.

The morning goes by fast. Everyone is focused on what happens next, this afternoon. We will need to impress the game makers. Traditionally, the careers have to score an eight or higher. Although that shouldn't be a problem for most of us, I can tell Tara is nervous.

When we are dismissed for lunch, the five of us head to our usual table. Glimmer grabs the seat beside me, so Clove sits across from me next to Marvel. Tara sits at the end.

"So," Glimmer purrs beside my ear. "Are you nervous?" Her hand rests absently on my arm. Why is she asking? She knows perfectly well that I'll probably have the best score. I honestly feel bad for Marvel; after training I at least get to go back to my own floor. He's stuck with her.

"No," I reply cockily. "Why should I be?"

Tara looks down at the table and pushes her food around.

"What about you, Tara? What do you plan to do?" Glimmer's voice sounds friendly enough, but I can hear the malice under the fake tone. Apparently, so does Tara.

"I'm probably going to do a little bit of everything. In my opinion, a little diversity is better than having only one skill," Tara answers. Her comment is like a slap in the face for most of the people at the table. I notice Clove start fingering her knife in her hands and she has a suspicious glint in her eye. I kick her under the table. She shoots me a glare, and I shake my head at her. This isn't the time or place to be getting into fights.

Soon, we start getting called into the training room one at a time for our private sessions. Marvel goes first, since it starts from District one and boys start. Before too long, it's my turn. I stand up and walk to the training room, leaving only Clove and Tara at the table alone. I shoot Clove a warning look before pushing open the doors to the training room.

The Gamemakers watch me intently as I step towards them. I'm not sure if I should say something, so I tell them may name. One of them simply nods and tells me to go ahead. I can feel their eyes on my as I move towards the sword station. I select the most impressive one and then start to do some damage. I show off everything my father ever taught me, everything I have ever learned. I am in my zone, and nothing can stop me. I no longer care about the Gamemakers, no longer care about anything. It's just me and my sword.

By the time I finish, all the dummies are fatally wounded or decapitated, and the Gamemakers are looking impressed. Then, I remember what Tara said about diversity and quickly move towards the spears before I could be dismissed and throw some at the targets. I also manage to throw some knives, too. _At least Clove hasn't gone yet, or there would be no point in trying to impress them with knives, _I think to myself and I almost let out a chuckle.

Finally, I am dismissed, and I start to head upstairs. I contemplate waiting for Clove, but Brutus would have a few things to say about that. When she does arrive, she has a satisfied smirk on her face. I can't help but smile at her, even with Brutus sitting a few feet away. Over dinner, everyone talks excitedly about our training scores. Everyone is anticipating great scores. I can tell that the stylists and escorts are hoping for another district two win, but I suspect it has more to do with invites to parties than genuine concern for our well-being.

We finish our dinner quickly before we all file into the living room and take our seats on the couch. I sit with Brutus and Clove sits with Enobaria. The results come in order of the districts, so we find our Marvel and Glimmer's scores first. Both got an 8. Not bad, but not excellent either.

Now it's our turn. You could hear a pin drop in the room as Caesar prepares to announce the scores for district two. My whole body tenses, although I know I shouldn't be worried. I just can't help the nervous feeling in my gut. My father is watching this right now, and I know he expects me to get the best score in the group. My only fear is the fear of disappointing him.

I clench my fists as my score flashed beneath my picture. 10. I scored a 10. I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. Brutus smiles at me and squeezes my shoulder. For a brief moment, the room is alive with congratulations, but soon everyone quiets down for Clove's score. She gets a 9, and relief floods through me. I would never admit this to her, but she was my biggest competition, and I beat her. Brutus gives me a knowing look before getting up to congratulate my fellow tribute. I join him.

She seems happy enough, but I can tell she is disappointed that I outscored her. Well, maybe disappointed isn't the right word. Perhaps angry is better, although she's good at masking it. I wouldn't be surprised if she is planning to get me back in the arena. _Well, good luck with that._

The boy from district four got a 6, and Tara managed an 8. I smirk to myself. _District two is definitely going to take it this year. _None of the other scores interest me until we reach the boy from 11. He got a score of 9, probably just by showing up. The next score surprised me-that boy from 12, the one who was painting, got an 8. That's the same as most of the other careers. I wonder what he's hiding.

The next score makes my blood run cold. That fire girl's picture shows up, followed by an 11 flashing beneath it.

"Now Cato-" I hear Brutus starting to try to calm me down. He must sense how angry I am. No, angry does not describe my rage. I am infuriated. My vision goes red and I stand up too quickly for Brutus to stop me. I can feel the tension in my body that needs to be released. I need to hurt someone. Instead, I flip over the coffee table.

"How," I say, my voice tight. "Did," I continue, my voice rising in fury with every word. "That. Pathetic. Girl. From. Twelve. Beat. Me!" By the end I'm sure everyone in the building could hear my shouting.

"Cato," Brutus says calmly. "She did volunteer."

"Yes, but only to spare that tiny little blonde girl!" I shout. None of this makes sense. I punch a hole in a nearby wall. I see a look of fear on Atilius' face, but that only encourages me. Enobaria suggests that the stylists leave, and they make no attempt to argue. Atilius follows them out of the room.

My breathing becomes rapid and heavy. Brutus places a hand on my shoulder, but I whip around and punch him square in the face. Now he looks mad. His muscles tense, but before he can move I'm already storming out towards my room. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mentor start to follow me, but Clove's voice stops him.

"No, I'll go," she says and follows me out before either mentor could object. She stands smirking in the doorway as I just lay waste to everything in my room, saying nothing. After a few minutes, she finally speaks up.

"You about done?" She asks sarcastically, almost as if she's bored. I spin around to face her and look her in the eye. I'm at least a head taller than her, but she glares right back up at me without so much as a flinch. I catch a glint of fear, but she hides it well. I feel myself relax slightly.

"I am not coming in second best to that…that…what did she even do anyway?" I complain. "I swear, when I find her-" My hands start to form into fists again.

"Cato, calm down," Clove says sternly. Every fiber in me is screaming to hit something, hard, but I manage to resist the impulse. How can someone so small be so confident?

"I want to kill her," I growl.

"Don't worry. You will." An evil smile spreads across her face, and a know a similar one is reflected on mine.

"I'm looking forward to it."


End file.
